What is Governance?

Governance is the way by which an organisation is held accountable. In Local Government, governance involves the ways in which the staff members are accountable to the Elected Council and the Elected members and staff members are accountable to the community.

The Local Government Act (“the Act”) sets out a governance framework including policies, meeting procedures, public consultation requirements, reporting (financial and non-financial), and the roles and responsibilities within the Council.

It is the responsibility of the Elected Council to “achieve and maintain standards of good public administration” (section 8k of the Act). Good governance is critical to prevent corruption and maladministration. The Barossa Council thoroughly supports a good governance framework to ensure that it is open, accountable and transparent in its interactions with its community, businesses, other tiers of government and staff.

The Chief Executive Officer and administration staff members are given powers by the Elected Council to assist in the achievement and maintenance of good governance through delegated powers (see Delegations below).

Governance Framework

The following areas combine to form The Barossa Council’s governance framework: